Justin Smith

We can agree that "the worst drivers" needs defining and my wife came up with something that I would have thought most people would agree with : "The worst drivers deliberately seek an advantage by putting others at a disadvantage". This includes all those w*****s who try to jump Qs by using the wrong lane, park where they shouldn`t, jump red lights, drive aggressively putting others in danger, etc etc etc I`m not sure you can say that what sort of car people have proves how much they know about driving. As you know I built my own Westfield so by most peoples definition I know a fair amount about motors/motoring. Because I now have no interest in driving I presently have a 1997 Escort diesel (the private plate on it is worth more than the car !) but I still "know" everything I knew before.

We can definately agree on that.....................

Are you being ironic ? Most peoples definition of the "worst drivers" are the aggressive SOBs who wind them up. The latter very rarely drive the kind of car you have mentioned.

Right OK, I think it`s important to stress that these are generalisations so don`t get too upset if anyone has any of these particular cars ! Having said that, are you sure that you aren`t one of those drivers, with an excess of arrogance and a shortage of respect for the Highway Code, which all the other drivers hate...... After years of trying to pin down which cars the worst drivers tend to own, you know, the gits who cut you up, speed all over the place and go through red lights. I have finally concluded that it`s not a particular make at all, it`s German cars ! It`s not just BMWs, it`s also Mercedes, Volkswagens, Porsches and (probably worst of all) Audis. You see if I`m right, the next time you see someone driving aggressively/too fast it`s more likely to be someone driving a German car.* Most of the absolute worst driving I see is in German cars, it`s a fact. PS I`m not saying all drivers of German cars are bad, or that all drivers of other types aren`t ! * As in far more likely than the percentage of cars on the road which are German, about 15 to 20%, and not including kids in Corsas or Saxos, who haven`t grown up yet and can`t afford anything else anyway....... 11th June 2011 I knew I was right ! This is it : All Cars Cars driven by men German cars (plus many Vauxhalls) Audis Audi R8s Basically, the further down that list you go, the more likely the car is to be driven aggressively / dangerously. Incidentally, to those who say speed isn`t a significant factor in (serious) accidents, Sgt Steve Askham of SY Police serious collisions unit begs to differ : "The fatal four causes of serious collisions are speed, drink or drugs, using mobile phones and not wearing seat belts" (Reported in The Star 11 Nov 16)

I repeat what I said in the response I made above, theoretically the speed limit on my (residential road) is 30mph but anyone actually driving down it at that speed would have some sort of mental retardation problem. I suspect most residential streets fall into the same category. I don`t know what sort of road you live on but unless is a major through route I`ll bet you would not want people driving along it at 30mph, particularly if you have kids. Of course I think speed humps are a pain in the arse (literally if one has piles !) but until all motorists drive in a safe and responsible manner I want one on my road !

I`m a bit cynical about digital TV too, and I`m in the trade ! Everything you want to know (positives as well as negatives, Freeview V Freesat, and with particular reference to the Sheffield area) is on: http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html

Incidentally does anyone disagree with the above statement ? (this is a duplication of the above due to "user error"...............)

Incidentally does anyone disagree agree the above statement

It`s not a question of whether it`s reasonable or otherwise, it`s just inefficient driving. More wear and tear on ones brakes, engine and transmission. Most of the humps I come across can be negotiated fairly smoothly at 15 to 20mph (and I would accept that one`s which require drivers to slow more than this are too severe) so how much time would one save by adopting the two different strategies ? Nothing worthwhile all I`d say. On the subject of 30 limits the road I live on is theoretically a 30 limit but anyone who drove down it at that speed would have to be retarded in some way. I would say 15 to 20 would be the absolute maximum safe speed and I`ll bet everyone on my road would agree with me.

If there aren`t any regulations to keep cars noise levels to a reasonable level there bleedin` should be. Hopefully the DofT will get round to it sometime, possibly when they`ve finished ripping us off with their 0870 phone number..... I`ve heard this before about braking for speed bumps then speeding up afterwards but surely that`s just bad diving. One should do a steady speed (15 to 20mph I`ve found is usually OK to minimise any unwanted "jarring") and stick to it. I can`t help wondering if these "brake and accelerate" drivers are the same ones you see hammering down the outside lane of the motorway then braking behind the next car they come across. That is bad driving because if you use good anticipation (and don`t drive too fast) you should never have to brake on a motorway at all, unless there`s a traffic jam of course.

Here`s the latest thing to be changed, with no improvement in service..... The EPOS terminal in our shop has just been replaced and (apart from the fact all those using it now have to get used to a new system....) the paper is now thermally printed just like all the old fax machines. This is becoming more and more common (because it`s cheaper....) but the receipt fades with time ! In fact there`s every chance that if one needs the receipt at some time in the future it`ll be bleedin unreadable.........

Speed bumps are an interesting one because they result in the opposite of the NIMBY syndrome. That is to say most people (particularly those with children) want them on their own road but do not want them on any other road which they have to use. I reckon the term OIMBY (that`s Only In My Back Yard) describes them, and me come to that ! Incidentally it`s not just about road safety, my wife and I were thinking of buying a house and we went back to look at it in the evening (when it was quiet) and the noise from some of the motorists hammering it up the hill outside put us off it. If a speed bump had been just outside they wouldn`t be able to drive at such speed and the noise level would have been more bearable. Incidentally how do those anti social cretins with the really loud exhausts get away with it ? Surely their must be some law (or even just the MOT) to stop them.....

I think part of the problem is that there are two definitions of the word respect which are commonly confused. Respect can mean "admiration", or it can be used in the sense of "defer to". It`s obviously preferable if one feels both definitions of the word toward (say) your teacher or boss, but at the end of the day one has to defer to them even if one does not admire them. Whilst being brought up myself it was always an absolute that I defered to my parents. I was not "friends" with them (esp my Dad !) but once I left home it all changed, as I would expect it to, and I am now very close to both of my parents.

I suppose it depends how tightly one wants to define "best friend" but I could not envisage disciplining any of my friends at all. In fact I`m sure if I did we wouldn`t remain friends for much longer !

Absolutely, they`re more bothered about delivering annoying rubbish to us (because it makes them money) than providing a service. I`m telling you now, if the Royal Mail get away with what they`ve already done, what will they do next ? How about collections in the morning and deliveries in the afternoon ? That way they could possibly get away with employing 30% less staff. The fact everyone would have to wait an extra day for their mail is not something they`re bothered about......

Is it actually possible to fulfill both of these criteria simultaneously ?

Do more and more parents want to be "best friends" with their kids these days and is it appropriate ? What implications does it have for discipline and the risk of spoiling kids ?

I never said that any TVs would be rendered obsolete, in fact (ironically) this is something that I stress on our website. But they will need STBs and I`ve never seen one for £10, particularly with an RF output. Anyone on Emley Moor (possibly 40% around here) who has a decent aerial installation ((or is just lucky....)) should NOT require a new antenna. Due to its hills Sheffield has a huge range of signal conditions and if one lives with line of sight onto any of the relevant transmitters one may very well get a good signal off an indoor antenna. BUT there are some people (who live in dips etc) who would not get a reliable signal even with an XB10/XB14 aerial and a mast head amp. Believe me some aerial jobs are not worth having, the installer is on a loser all the way......

Because you are fortunate to live in a strong signal area. Sheffield is famous (should that be infamous) for it`s hills and the vast majority of people will not get reliable digital off a "set top" aerial. There is a fabulous topographical map (proving the point on Sheffields hills) at http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvmaps.html#topographymap

Most people in Sheffield (apart from those on Emley Moor) whose aerial is more than 5 to 10 years old will require a new aerial, see http://www.aerialsandtv.com/aerials.html#WidebandAerials

.....eh....that`s not quite true as the arguments on the link http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalnegatives make clear........ I`ve yet to see an STB (particularly one with a modulated RF output, there are still a lot of sets out there without a SCART input) for £10.

I`m not sure I agree with you on whether people don`t want them anymore, it`s more that they`re being "persuaded" in that direction. I reckon they will eventually become cheaper than CRT but at the moment I`d never recommend one to anyone, and that`s before you try and get one repaired.... By the way HDTV (for the vast majority of people, including all those who don`t want Sky) is a red herring for the reasons given below. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#HDTV

......`nuff said........ Incidentally in response to an earlier reply, I specifically excluded advances in medical treatment.

We deal with a lot of customers and I`m telling you from experience many of them (particularly, but not exclusively, older people) can`t operate/don`t understand the stuff they`ve got now. You may not feel so unsympathetic when you`re older......... Or was lesbaxby`s a satirical post in the first place ? I can`t even tell !

An internet forum is probably the wrong medium to complain about this but surely I can`t be the only one who is getting bemused at how fast things (especially technology) are changing all the time, and it`s getting faster all the time..... In fact I`ve reached the stage where (other than advances in medical science) I don`t want things to change anymore, I`m happy with things the way they are ! I don`t want yet another way of recording/playing back music/TV or yet more annoying special effects on the TV programmes themselves or some incredibly complicated type of railway ticket etc etc...... Half the time the "advances" are not actually advances at all, eg Digital TV, Plasma or LCD TVs all of which are vastly over rated, I`m a TV engineer so I do know...... (see external links). Somethings are actually getting worse, eg the service from the Royal Mail....... My watch failed the other day and all I wanted was one just the same. Guess what ? "They don`t do that one anymore Sir", implying that it`s out of fashion. Gordon Bennet, it`s a bleedin` sports watch which was only a few years old, how can it be "out of fashion"....... Stop the world. I want to get off....... By the way I`m no luddite I was one of the first people I know to get a mobile (for my business) or a GPS receiver (for my walking interest) and I`ve got my own website which I did myself. I just think things are going too far.....far too far....... The failings of Digital TV http://www.aerialsandtv.com/digitaltv.html#digitalnegatives The failings of Plasma/LCD TVs http://www.aerialsandtv.com/tvrepairs.html#plasmasLCDs